(CNN) – Rep. Darrell Issa's assertion Sunday that Jay Carney is a "paid liar" wasn't met with a chorus of agreement Monday from fellow Republicans, some of whom said the comment was misplaced amid real worries about government overreach.

Two outspoken senators – John McCain and Lindsey Graham – both disavowed the remark, saying Issa should focus instead on getting to the bottom of the scandals engulfing the Internal Revenue Service.
"You can go too far," Graham said on the Fox News Radio program "Kilmeade and Friends."

"Let's don't make it personal," continued the South Carolina Republican. "Jay Carney is not the issue here. He's the spokesman for the White House. Just keep doing what you're doing, Darrell."

He encouraged Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to "just plod through" the investigation into which levels of the IRS instigated the targeting of conservative groups applying for tax exempt status.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, Issa told Candy Crowley that Carney is a "paid liar" for repeating the IRS line that employees in Cincinnati were responsible for the IRS mess-up. He said interviews with IRS employees suggested otherwise.

"Their paid liar, their spokesperson, pictured behind, he's still making up things about what happens," he said, pointing to a photo of Carney on the set.

McCain, speaking on CBS "This Morning," said he uses the word "liar" sparingly when referring to fellow officials.

"I would never like to use that word," he said. "I think that we should let these investigations take their course, let the facts come out."

soundoff(197 Responses)

SalMoanella

I thought the article said republicans. Then you see it's just the dems in gop clothes McCain and Graham. Doesn't the media get it? These guys aren't republicans. They're dem operatives working within the gop.

June 4, 2013 11:52 am at 11:52 am |

charlie

The AP scandal and the IRS scandal need to be investigated, but not in lieu of governing. Passing some good legislation to get the country back on its feet should be more urgent than the outcome of these investigations. Proceed with getting to the bottom of things, but please, please put helping out the American people ahead of that. Stop using these scandals as an excuse for not governing.

June 4, 2013 11:53 am at 11:53 am |

Steve in CT

Where was ISSA and his ilk when the Bush/Cheney team used the IRS, FBI, Secret Service, and the CIA to spy on liberal groups? Oh yeah, that president wasn't a Democrat

June 4, 2013 11:54 am at 11:54 am |

JohnW

Awestruck
Obama is a liar and a radical socialist leftist and deserves to be impeached and over thrown for his crimes against the United States. Issa is just calling it as it is... Carney is a paid liar and propagandist of the magnitude of Goerbels, for the criminal B. Hussein Obama administration.
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What I love about comments like this is that they cannot provide any examples, just blind rhetoric. If they could give any examples, reasonable people might start listening.

June 4, 2013 11:55 am at 11:55 am |

Ben

Awestruck in the head one too many times. Obviously.

June 4, 2013 11:58 am at 11:58 am |

DJ Reality

Maybe Darrel Issa should resign.

June 4, 2013 12:06 pm at 12:06 pm |

clem kadiddle

The GOP stepped in it again. They must like the stink.

June 4, 2013 12:14 pm at 12:14 pm |

openyoureyes

Jay proved himself to be a liar on Monday. When he was told what Issa had said the day before, he said, "Oh I hadn't heard that." What BS – does he really think that the public would believe that no one, not one of his colleagues, called him to tell him of this. What a liar!!!!

June 4, 2013 12:18 pm at 12:18 pm |

impact0900

And this comes from a man with a dubious criminal past, who has no problem with bending the truth for his own gain.

June 4, 2013 12:19 pm at 12:19 pm |

Thomas

As the ship continues to go down, these guys continue to arrange the deck chairs for short term political gains. This nation hungers for leaders and there are none to be found.

June 4, 2013 12:22 pm at 12:22 pm |

Cavaliere

So Carney is a paid liar. Technically that's true. We can also say that about almost every lawyer, publicist, and certainly every corporate spokesman. It just seems like especially this last is held to a much lower standard. Like no one expects ethics from private sector "job creators".

Call me old-fashioned , but I expect it from everyone, including me.

June 4, 2013 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

Malory Archer

Mark in San Diego

Dems and libs call the GOP and Cons liars all the time in public, so why is this a big deal.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Name one Dem or "lib" CONGRESSPERSON who has called a rethug a liar in public. Just one.

June 4, 2013 12:28 pm at 12:28 pm |

Christian Grey

JohnW

Awestruck
Obama is a liar and a radical socialist leftist and deserves to be impeached and over thrown for his crimes against the United States. Issa is just calling it as it is... Carney is a paid liar and propagandist of the magnitude of Goerbels, for the criminal B. Hussein Obama administration.
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What I love about comments like this is that they cannot provide any examples, just blind rhetoric. If they could give any examples, reasonable people might start listening.

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If you read anything but CNN and listened to anyone but MSNBC it would be right at the tip of you nose...just keep keep your head burried in the sand and all will be alright...

June 4, 2013 12:29 pm at 12:29 pm |

Al

Let's examine that statement "paid liar". He told a false story which is a lie and he was being paid during the time that he was telling the false story. So in view of the facts, I know some don't like facts, the statement was correct. And yet people want accept this type of misrepresentation from this Administration. It's time to tame this Administration and show them that they are not allowed to abuse the office they are in, they are there to serve the people and not have the people serve them.

June 4, 2013 12:38 pm at 12:38 pm |

RainyAlaska

If the name fits....To some of us "Liar" isn't strong enough.

June 4, 2013 12:38 pm at 12:38 pm |

Brad

@Christian Grey
Some people like real news not the comedy show put on by Fox however: I'll give you MSNBC is just the polar opposite of Fox.

June 4, 2013 12:46 pm at 12:46 pm |

leewarren

Ok, Ok! we will back up a bit....so I guess it's possible he does it for free.

June 4, 2013 12:46 pm at 12:46 pm |

mike

Don't worry, folks. Issa has EVIDENCE! Evidence he'll get around to showing us in...hey it's lunchtime!!!

June 4, 2013 12:48 pm at 12:48 pm |

Dean

JohnW

Awestruck
Obama is a liar and a radical socialist leftist and deserves to be impeached and over thrown for his crimes against the United States. Issa is just calling it as it is... Carney is a paid liar and propagandist of the magnitude of Goerbels, for the criminal B. Hussein Obama administration.
--------
What I love about comments like this is that they cannot provide any examples, just blind rhetoric. If they could give any examples, reasonable people might start listening.
Ok John....here you go.
In Obama’s campaign, he promised to “eliminate entirely” income tax for seniors making less
than $50,000. Yet another blatant lie right to your face.
“If we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home, we will end this war. You can take that to the bank.”
The only involvement I had with Acorn was doing some stuff with the justice department.
Public Will Have 5 Days To Look At Every Bill That Lands On My Desk
Promises to Close Guantanamo Bay and End Torture
“If you like the healthcare plan you have, you can keep it.”
“We got back Every Dime we Used to Rescue the Banks with Interest”

The Congressional Budget Office–based on figures from Obama’s own Office of Management and Budget—gives a different assessment.

“The cost to the federal government of the TARP’s transactions (also referred to as the subsidy cost), including grants for mortgage programs that have not yet been made, will amount to $24 billion,” said the CBO report, which was released on the same day Obama spoke.
1. Make Government Open and Transparent
2. Make it “Impossible” for Congressmen to slip in Pork Barrel Projects
3. Meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public (republicans shut out)
4. No more secrecy
5. Public will have 5 days to look at a Bill
6. You’ll know what’s in it (Republican Senators didn’t know)
7. We will put every pork barrel project online

June 4, 2013 12:48 pm at 12:48 pm |

carlos

d. issa............ a man with a dubious criminal past, who has no problem with bending the truth for his own gain.

June 4, 2013 01:00 pm at 1:00 pm |

Rudy NYC

openyoureyes

Jay proved himself to be a liar on Monday. When he was told what Issa had said the day before, he said, "Oh I hadn't heard that." What BS – does he really think that the public would believe that no one, not one of his colleagues, called him to tell him of this. What a liar!!!!
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Is that the best example that the right wing can come up with? if that;s the case, then Ronald "I don't recall" Reagan is the worse liar in the history of US presidents. Too bad most right wingers cannot recognize sarcasm.

June 4, 2013 01:01 pm at 1:01 pm |

Bob in DSM

So the IRS investigates groups based on their political leanings, but it's not political; The Administration tells a tale on Benghazi before the election so it won't look like they lost an ambassador to terrorists, but they knew it was false; The Attorney General claimed to have no knowledge of a subpoena accusing a reporter of being a criminal, but he signed it; – how are these not lies? How do we tolerate such repeated incompetent deceptions?

June 4, 2013 01:03 pm at 1:03 pm |

ART

Darrell Issa is a pig in a suit

June 4, 2013 01:04 pm at 1:04 pm |

Rudy NYC

Al

Let's examine that statement "paid liar". He told a false story which is a lie and he was being paid during the time that he was telling the false story. So in view of the facts, I know some don't like facts, the statement was correct. And yet people want accept this type of misrepresentation from this Administration. It's time to tame this Administration and show them that they are not allowed to abuse the office they are in, they are there to serve the people and not have the people serve them.
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The vast majority of Americans do not watch Fox News or right wing media. Could you please identify just what exactly was said that has the right wing all huffed up? I read your post and feel like I just missed part of the conversation, the most important part at that.

June 4, 2013 01:04 pm at 1:04 pm |

ron

Why not have some real fun, if Issa is such a fine upstanding politician that he has the moral right to describe anyone who doesn't agree with him as liars, how about he takes a polygraph on his arson and car theft accusations? Statute has run out, might find out what kinda liar this idiot is.